


When they see you shine

by DracoIgnis



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, First Love, First Meetings, Growing Up, Humor, Romance, Slow Romance, Teenage AU, Teenagers, Young Love, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-29 06:10:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19824157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DracoIgnis/pseuds/DracoIgnis
Summary: New in town, Jon Snow has no friends and no purpose in life. Arya begs him to join the local Night's Watch which turns out to be nothing more but a group of lads roaming the streets at night, challenging each other.But when Jon's initiation is to take a photo of the mysterious Daenerys whom no one has ever seen, it seems a purpose in life starts developing. Perhaps he will be the one to bring her away from the watchful eye of her brother Viserys and into a life of freedom and love?A modern Jonerys AU about finding yourself and falling in love. Written as 1st person POV from Jon's perspective.





	1. What the hell is the Night's Watch?

**Author's Note:**

> So, I know first person POV is not always the most used, but it's the one I find the easiest to write, so I hope some of you will enjoy it anyway! This won't be a long story, but a few chapters should cover the idea I have in mind. Next chapter should have a lot of Daenerys interaction, so I hope you'll stick around and give it a go. Thanks for reading!

I could count on one hand the amount of exciting things that has ever happened to me. Being seventeen, I considered it quite a feat. After all, everyone else my age was busy - busy getting drunk, getting laid, getting hitched up, getting broken up, getting got. Me, however, I was just _getting by_.

“You are just a late bloomer,” my sister Sansa once said. “Once your time comes, _they’ll see_.”

It was kind of sweet, in a really fucking demeaning way, because a) it suggested that I had not yet reached full potential which, hello, we _all_ know must be done in our teenage years, and b) the conoundrum being: who the hell are _they_? Are _they_ my family? The country? _The universe?_ How many people would I have to prove wrong to be able to show off to the almighty _they_?

In a way, her words set off a mid-teen crisis in me. Like some guys turn fifty and start hiking cross-country, buying retro cars and changing their names to Dick McDickory for a bit of _change_ , I started fiddling with different identities. Who did I want to be, what did I want people to think when they saw me? That I was cool, sexy, smart, friendly, or arrogant? Did I want them to associate me with kindness or danger? Perhaps a bit of both?

As it turned out, I didn’t have to look far for answers.

* * *

“I want to join the Night’s Watch!” Arya shouted as she kicked in the door to my room.

I flipped over in bed and lifted my reading glasses to have a look at my frenzied sister. She stood in the doorway, her brown eyes brimming with excitement. “Oh?” I said, having not really heard what she shouted. I folded the corner of the page I was reading before placing the book on my nightstand. “Sounds good.”

“It does, right?” Arya slammed the door shut behind her as she strolled through my room. My gaze followed her lazily. “It’s so cool! They do things like walk the streets at night and look out for trouble, and they take care of the city, and they do really cool stuff like… like sit and talk and stuff.”

“Mh-hmm,” I mumbled, still not really focusing on her words. My fingertips lightly brushed down the cover of my book, _Catch 22,_ before I gave her a nod of approval. “That’s cool,” I agreed.

Now, don’t get me wrong - it’s not that I wanted to be _mean_ , but Arya has a tendency to go on and on. Truth be told, it’s kind of a thing in the whole Stark family. Sansa can get caught up in things too, often stories about what happened to someone’s ex-boyfriend’s sister’s aunt’s niece, and she’ll get so into her tales that she won’t notice her audience clocking out mentally. I had gotten seriously good at listening with my ears shut. It’s a trick I used at high school too.

“Yeah, there’s only one problem,” Arya said. She sat down on the floor in front of me, looking up from her crossed legged position as she took in a deep breath. “It’s a boys’ only thing.”

I took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes with a grimace. “Well, Arya, not to be sexist but-”

“-but I’m not a boy, _I know_.” Arya rolled her eyes. She then grabbed at the corners of my duvet, pulling me a little bit closer to the edge as she stretched her neck. “But _you_ are.”

I leaned down to look her in the eyes. My face showed no expression as I said, “No. Way. Me? A _boy_?”

“Come on, Jon, you know what I mean.”

“Trust me, I am not even close to understanding.”

“You can join them. Then you can tell them to accept me.”

“That is the worst idea you’ve had all year.”

“Well, it _is_ only February.”

“Touche.” I prodded myself up to lean on my elbows as I glanced around my room. It was still full of moving boxes. The only stuff I had unpacked were my books, laptop, and clothes, and most of it was still laying in piles around the room. Right corner for clean shirts, left for dirty. “I don’t have time to join some children’s playclub,” I said, “look around! If I don’t unpack soon, Catelyn’s gonna develop an aneurysm.” I gave Arya a pitied look. “And you know she’s already got it out for me as it is.”

Catelyn’s my step-mother. In truth, Arya and Sansa are only my half-sisters, but it doesn’t feel that way. After my father died, we all seemed to bond close - all but Catelyn. At the funeral, as they lowered my dad’s body into the ground, she leaned in and whispered in my ear: “He was the only family you had left - now, consider yourself an orphan.”

No one else heard it, but it gave me shivers. I was unable to shrug them off for the rest of the evening, even when people kindly gave me their condolences. _Consider yourself an orphan_. I couldn’t, not with Arya and Sansa standing so close to me most of the day, holding my hands as tightly as they could, their fingers squeezing my own white. _Consider yourself an orphan_. I perhaps could’ve become one if Sansa had not put her foot down and insisted that if she were to move, so was I. I heard them argue in the middle of the night as the house went up for sale. “He is my brother,” she had cried, “Not half brother, my _full_ brother. Your pettiness will not be the end of this family!”

I had to admire her persistence. Sure, I had only managed to get a room in the basement next to the boiler which did its darnest best to keep me up all night, creaking and choking on water. But at least I was here, in Dragonstown, with my sisters.

 _However annoying they can be_ , I pondered as I looked back at Arya.

She rolled her eyes again, seemingly incapable of coming up with a better response. “Well,” she started, “Well, Jon, didn’t you say yourself that you wanted to be someone? Maybe this is how you start!”

“I meant as in _become_ someone. Someone to admire.”

“Well, I admire the Night’s Watch!”

“Considering how you used to admire Batman, that’s hardly assuring.”

“What do you mean, _used to_?” Arya teased with a crooked smile. She leaned her chin onto the bed frame, and I ran my fingers through her brown locks.

 _She’s cut them again_ , I noted, feeling the frayed ends of her hairdo, _Perhaps she really wishes she was a boy._ It hurt my heart a little. Realising that she had as little choice in life as I did, I finally sighed: “Okay, how about this. I will _consider_ it?”

Arya’s lips broke into a full on smile. “Truly?”

“ _Consider_ ,” I said. “Look up the word if you’re not sure what it means. Here’s a hint - it doesn’t mean _yes_.”

“I know what consider means,” she said and stuck her tongue out at me. As she scurried up to stand, she grabbed me around the neck and pulled my head to her chest in a hug. “Thanks, Jon. That’s all I can ask of you.”

“No problem - but piss off now before your mum starts blaming me for decaying your mind,” I smiled.

Arya laughed as she left the room, making a big scene out of gently opening and closing the door. Before it clicked shut, I saw her do an over-the-top bow in my direction with a grin.

“Silly sod,” I mumbled and picked my book back up again, but no matter how hard I tried to stare at the words, the letters seemed to jump and slip together. I couldn’t concentrate. My mind was lost in her words.

 _Night’s Watch_ , I pondered and laid back down as I glanced at the ceiling, my gaze slipping from patch to patch. _What the hell is the Night’s Watch?_

* * *

“Oh, mate, it’s _the worst_ gang of lads. _The worst_.”

Pyp was sitting on the edge of the counter, his legs dangling in the air as he broke open another pack of gum. He had already eaten his way through three that evening but had yet to pay for a single one.

At this point, I had stopped questioning it. Instead, I held out my hand and accepted a piece as Pyp offered it, and I slowly started chewing as I gazed around the petrol station shop. It was empty, as always. “Surely it’s not that rough,” I said meekly.

“Rough? No, you’ve heard me wrong, Jon, it isn’t rough - it’s just _the worst_. Full of pansies and people who think themselves better than us. Hey, you know those board games, like full of warriors and mages and whatnot, those people make stories up about and play with?”

I wrinkled my brows. _I do not_ , I thought, but replied: “Sure, what about it?”

“Well, you know the people who play, yeah? The kind of nerds who do that?”

I nodded ‘yes’ as I eyed him confused, still not having a clue.

“Well, the Night’s Watch is full of people _like them_.”

“What, so nerds?” I questioned as that was the only word I’d caught on to. “Look at us, Pyp. We’re cashiers, not exactly secret agents.”

“At least we’re not _nerds_.”

I shrugged and turned back to watch the empty shop. “I suppose we’re not,” I said, feeling anything but un-nerdy in my yellow, plastic apron.

The job had been one of Catelyn’s rules, the only one not even Sansa had been able to overturn. “You can stay, Jon,” she had said, her tone of voice clearly suggesting that I should be thankful for that alone, “But if you stay, I don’t want you to loiter.”

“I’ll continue to study,” I promised, but it wasn’t enough.

Shaking her head, she said: “No, that part is up to you, but as long as you live in my house, you make your own way. Get a job, pay the bills. Then you can stay.”

 _If only they’d decided to move to a city with cool jobs, like bartending or finance. I could be a freaking stockbroker_ , I thought. Instead, here I was, selling cigarettes and booze and listening to old men complaining about the price of petrol (“You want _HOW MUCH?_ When I was your age, a gallon costed pennies! _Pennies, I tell you!_ ”).

Truth be told, it wasn’t the worst job. Since all my shifts were at night, there were long periods void of customers. Pyp and I filled them with chatting, playing games on our phones, or studying. Pyp wanted to be a police officer, and apparently that required a broad knowledge of everything. I wanted to be… _something_. So, as my indecisiveness may suggest, I needed all the help I could get.

I blew a bubble and reached under the counter for my book. I could see Pyp’s gaze follow me.

“Catch 22?” he asked. “What’s that about?”

“Trying to stay sane,” I said, “when the whole world gives you orders.”

“So you versus Catelyn?” he smiled.

I laughed, “Something like that! It’s really interesting how-”

A bell chimed as the door opened. Pyp and I both glared at the customer who stepped inside, and the man froze at the looks on our faces. His own was one of perplexity.

“Oh, sorry,” he said, “Are you closed?”

“Yeah, mate, we just like spending our Friday nights like this,” Pyp said, and I tried to suppress a grin. “The uniform, the shop - it’s better than clubbing.”

“So, you’re closed?” the man repeated his question.

“I told you - throw on an apron, grab a name tag, it’s time to party!” Pyp continued.

The guy looked completely lost, and he started shifting his weight from one foot to the other, his hand resting on the handle.

“Stop it, Pyp,” I whispered. I cleared my throat and gave the guy a friendly smile. “We are open,” I said clearly. “Do you need a hand?”

“Oh, good! Thank you,” he chirped, a smile quickly on his lips, “I just wanted to browse.” He closed the door, making a slight jump as the bell chimed once more, before heading in between the shelves. I watched his chubby frame as it disappeared toward the coolers in the back.

Pyp elbowed me. “See what I’m on about?” he whispered.

“What do you mean?”

“That’s Sam. Samwell Tarley. He’s part of the Night’s Watch.”

I raised my brows and threw a glance toward the guy, but all I could see was the top of the coolers as the doors opened and closed on the soft drinks. “What, _he’s_ one of the cool gang Arya’s been fantasizing about?”

“Told you,” Pyp shrugged, “Nerds.”

I felt my cheeks flush slightly with annoyance. Somehow, I’d wanted to believe in Arya’s words. I’d let myself believe that perhaps something exciting did exist in this town after all, something worth participating in. But as I watched Sam waddling his way back to the counter, a joyous smile on his lips as he hugged a handful of energy drinks close to his chest, I just felt _deflated_.

“Just these, please,” he said, placing them down one by one.

“All for you?” Pyp asked, making himself comfortable on the counter again.

“Oh no,” Sam shook his head. “Me and the brothers. Night’s Watch,” he said, the pride clear in his voice. “We’re in for a… a… a downright _riot_ of a night!”

I started scanning the cans and watched Pyp from the corners of my eyes as he mouthed: _Nerds_.

* * *

As the morning shift relieved us at five, I stepped out into the cool morning air and took in a deep breath. I stretched my arms high above my head and tried to fill my lungs to their full capacity, then let it all go in a misty breeze from my lips. I was fucking _exhausted_.

 _Weird really_ , I thought as I tucked my old leather jacket closer around myself and started making my way down the back alley behind the station. _I’ve done nothing all night and yet I’m absolutely spent._

It was dark. Somewhere far above me, stars still flickered, although I could barely see them in the dim light from the streetlamps. They were scattered at random along the small street, causing me to either be bathed in light or walk in complete darkness. The last of winter still seemed to command Dragonstown, and I had to step with care not to slip on the morning’s frost that had settled on the asphalt.

As I walked, my mind started to wander as it often did in moments of silence. I thought about Pyp, and Arya, and Sansa, and Catelyn. I thought about my old town. And I thought about my dad, now buried several cities away. How strange it is. One moment you’re alive, kicking about like a baby, never thinking of anything but what to eat for dinner and whether the garden needs mowing and some stupid argument you had with some stranger on the bus. Then the next, you’re dead. You’re nothing. Just another body dumped in the ground.

 _I wonder if you’re just another body too, Mum_ , I thought, _If you’re still about, or if you’ve settled in a world far beyond this one_.

I shook my head and grimaced. I couldn’t linger on the thought of her. If I did, then it would stick with me for the rest of the weekend, and I would end up saying something bad to Caitlyn, and she would respond with something worse. “I didn’t do the dishes,” was often rewarded with a retort such as: “Your mum was a whore.”

 _Funny_ , I thought as I slowed my steps, _It’s almost like I can hear her shouting._

“You useless piece of shit!”

Oh, I _definitely_ heard that. I stopped up in the middle of the street and glanced around me, half expecting to see my stepmother emerge from the bushes, but instead I heard a faint whine as a known figure fought his way through the branches into the light.

I blinked in surprise. “Sam?” I said.

Sure enough, there stood Sam from earlier. He had changed from his regular clothes to all black, making him look like he was part of his own shadow. His kind smile was gone, replaced with a panicked look. He eyed me and his lips shivered, as if he wanted to ask who I was, but another shout soon followed behind him:

“When I find you, I am going to skin you alive!”

Sam hurried over and grabbed me at the collar. “I was not here!” he whispered to my face, then looked behind him shortly before scurrying off into the night. I barely had a chance to see which direction he went as a lad emerged from the bushes.

This one was tall and lean, I noted, and his hair shone silver in the light. His face was red with anger as he stood looking around, then made eye contact with me. It felt like a long second as we just stood looking at each other. He then started marching right at me.

I took a step back in surprise as I felt my heart start beating quick. “Oh, hey,” I mumbled, unsure of what else to say as he came closer.

“Where is he?” the guy demanded.

“Who?” I asked.

“Are you one, too?” he asked, his eyes narrowing. As he got closer, I could see his irises were violet. “Are you!”

“Am I what?” I asked and blinked confused.

“Don’t play games with me, Mr Night’s Watch,” the guy spoke. His voice was shaking with anger, and spit flew from his lips as he spoke.

I took another step back instinctively. “Look, mate, I don’t know what game you’re playing at, but I’m just trying to get home.” I held my hands up in front of me, ready to defend myself. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat now. It had been a while since I last fought, but I was remembering my moves.

The guy stood looking at me, as if calculating his chances, but he then shook his head. “If you see a fat pig come by,” he said, and he pointed at me as he spoke, “then tell him that Viserys wants a word. No, actually, tell him that Viserys better not see him again, or he’ll _die_.” He stood still for a second, seemingly pondering about the impact of his own words, before he corrected himself: “No, tell him that Viserys-”

“Hold on,” I said, “Who is Viserys?”

The guy flushed. “I am, obviously! What are you, new in town?”

“Actually, yes.”

The guy - Viserys, I supposed - seemed to have been caught off guard. He wrinkled his brows and took a step back, his finger still pointed at me. “Well then,” he said, “Well then, so be it.” And with that, he swirled around and stormed back the way he’d come from, through the bushes.

Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. I stood dumbfounded, just looking the way he went, until a tiny voice sounded behind me:

“Is he gone?”

I turned and watch Sam appear from behind a tree. Leaves were stuck in his short hair, and mud caked his trousers.

“If he wasn’t, it wouldn’t matter,” I shrugged, “You’re quite visible.”

Sam smiled a hesitant smile. He plucked a twig out from his hair and dropped it to the ground. “Suppose you’re right,” he said and ran his fingers through his locks until every leaf had fallen.

“What was that about?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Sam assured me.

I raised my brows. “Sure didn’t sound like it.”

“It’s just Night’s Watch business. Nothing to worry about.”

“A guy threatening to skin you alive comes at me, and you tell me not to worry about it?” I cocked my head to the side and crossed my arms. “Come on, Sam, don’t you owe me an explanation?”

Sam looked around but, finding nothing, slowly started walking toward me. “Okay,” he said, lowering his voice, “Alright, but this is secret business. You have to be completely, well, _hush_ about it.”

I smiled, but quickly hid it behind my hand. “Okay,” I said. “I promise.” Somehow, this whole thing had woken me up more than the fresh morning air, and I almost felt a little excited being let in on something. Even if it was by some random guy with his breath smelling of energy drinks.

“So, I am part of the Night’s Watch,” Sam started, but something seemed to bother him as he twisted his lips about. “Well, _kind of_. See, I’m still trying to pass initiation.”

“Initiation?” I said. “What kind?”

“That guy you just met? His name is Viserys.”

“He told me a few times,” I nodded.

Sam licked his lips. “Well,” he said, fiddling with a button on his jacket. “He owns this estate in the woods, right on the edge. It’s very pretty, and very big, but also very private.”

“Mh-hmm,” I nodded, but my mind was slowly going elsewhere. This felt like another speech from Arya, and I started regretting getting involved in the story.

“Well, there’s this rumour that he doesn’t live there alone. That he has a sister. A sister that no one has seen because… well, who knows, maybe she’s deformed?” Sam shrugged and looked around.

He seemed well jittery, I noted. As if constantly on edge. Worried someone could hear us speak. It would almost be endearing if he wasn’t so annoyingly slow at explaining. “Go on,” I urged.

“Well, to join we have to show bravery by entering the house and stealing something from her room. Just something small, like a bookmark or an empty envelope. That’s what the other brothers have done, anyway. But me?” Sam lowered his voice even further, and I had to lean in close to hear him speak. “They want me to take a picture of her!”

“So…” I narrowed my eyes and pushed my tongue to the inner of my cheek as I tried to think. “Let me get this straight. They want you…”

“Yes,” Sam nodded.

“...to go to someone’s house…”

“Viserys’ yes,” Sam nodded some more.

“...and spy on her sister?”

“Yes! Well, not _spy_.”

“So you’re basically a bunch of perverts?” I concluded. “The Night’s Watch is actually more like the Ladies’ Watch.”

“She’s meant to be a freak!” Sam said. “No one has seen her. They’ve lived here for more than seven years now, and no one has ever seen her! Don’t tell me that’s not suspicious.”

“Maybe they’re just shy folks?” I suggested.

“Then why does he go around town but she doesn’t?”

“Maybe there’s not even a sister.”

“See, I thought that,” Sam nodded, happy that I had followed his original line of logic, “but when I went there tonight, I made it further than I have for a while.”

“A while?” I questioned.

“Well,” Sam blushed, “It’s not the first time I’m trying initiation. Anyway, I got to her window, it took me a long time as I had to be completely quiet. And I looked in and-” He held his breath and, I’ve got to admit, as much as it shames me - I actually leaned in even closer, a certain excitement building in me. “And I saw her. Well, I saw her from behind. No one has ever seen her, but I did!”

“And?” I narrowed my eyes.

Sam smiled: “Well, maybe she’s a freak, what do I know. I didn’t really see her. But I think she’s hidden away for a different reason, it must be. Because from behind, she looked absolutely gorgeous. Long silver hair, petite body - well, _curves in the right places_.” He tried to wink suggestively, but failed to make it work.

“Ladies’ Watch,” I reminded him, sounding unimpressed, but my interest was piqued. “So she looked like her brother?”

“If you’re into that sort of thing, I suppose?” Sam gave me an odd look but, before I could explain what I meant, he glanced up at the sky. “Oh dear.”

I looked up too. In all the time we chatted, the sky had managed to lighten. The sun was rising and spilling red and yellow above us. _Shit_ , I thought, _I should be asleep by now_.

As if reading my mind, Sam said, “I’ve got to go,” and he quickly turned around and started making his way down the street in the opposite direction of me.

And for a moment, I was ready to let him go and let that be it. I was ready to just get on with my life and truly, if I had, I might have been better off for it. I would’ve lived my non-exciting existence, never having more events to count than I had fingers, and perhaps I too would have been lowered into the grave alike my father, nothing but joyous memories in my mind.

But instead I heard myself ask, “What’s her name? The sister.”

Sam looked over his shoulder. “They say it’s Daenerys.”

“Daenerys,” I whispered. Something about it sounded right. Sounded like home.

“Come to a Night meeting,” Sam offered. “We are meeting at the harbour on Monday. See us there at ten in the evening.”

“I don’t know…” I said, but part of me already knew. I would be there.

“Think about it,” Sam said. “I could use another new recruit to help me out with that girl!” He raised his hand in a farewell before he disappeared into the shadows of the petrol station in the distance.

I stood for a bit thinking, then popped my hands into the pockets of my jacket, turned on my heels, and continued home.

 _Daenerys_ , I thought, liking the name more and more. _Daenerys, what’s your secret?_ And suddenly, I realised, I had something to look forward to.


	2. First instinct is to... freeze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your kudos and lovely comments on the last chapter, I really appreciate it! I was pleasantly surprised to find anyone interested in my somewhat silly plot, so really - thanks for sticking around! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. More to come soon.

“All you have to do is climb the fence, make your way through the backyard, scale the wall, get in through the window - it’s the one over there with the white curtains, on the first floor, you see? - and then get a photo of her. Any questions?”

Sam was watching me intensely, the excitement obvious in his red cheeks.

“Only one,” I said as my gaze slipped from his little smile to the lads behind him, all huddled together at the edge of the woods, _“What the fuck?”_

Truth be told, I almost didn’t go to the meeting. There was something _weird_ about the whole situation. I kept imagining a group of Sam look-alikes roaming the streets at night, deciding on their own form of awkward justice. Perhaps they really were all a bunch of nerds as Pyp had suggested. I envisioned board games and hand painted figures, perhaps homemade cloaks and wooden swords. Something, well, _odd_.

But I also imagined myself being involved in some intricate scam. As I lay in bed, I thought, _What if this is just an excuse to get me beat up? Maybe they’ll rob me and dump my body in the water._ The thought alone sent shivers down my spine. However, it was soon followed by an even worse thought: _What if they are everything Arya said they are, and I’m missing out on my one chance to join?_

I could almost see her pale face peering up at me, those brown eyes filled with disappointment as she came to realise that Jon, her brother, the one guy she trusted with all her secrets, had ruined her chances at joining the infamous Night’s Watch. It was the one thing I couldn’t bear.

So, really, I only had one choice - to go to the harbourside, praying that no one was going to attempt murdering the new kid in town.

It was dark, and on my way to the docks I managed to get lost between the many grounded boats. It was cold. I was shivering in my worn leather jacket, my long tee doing nothing to keep me warm. I kept dragging the sleeves down over my knuckles as I searched the dimly lit harbour for any sign of life.

 _It’s a scam_ , my pessimistic mind kept saying. It was like a song on repeat. _It’s a scam, it’s a scam, it’s a scam_ . The more I focused on those words, the more my heart beat, and the more my heart beat, the more the blood rushed to my ears, making it impossible for me to focus. _It’s a scam, it’s a scam_ . I thought of Pyp. Of how I should’ve listened to him. Of how he would curse me out if he knew what I was doing. _He’d call me a dumbass,_ I thought. And he wouldn’t even be wrong.

I was about to turn back on myself as I suddenly heard voices. I slowed down, reducing my steps to a quiet shuffle as I tucked myself behind a stand of kayaks and peaked through the metal bars. There he sat, Sam, on the docks, his legs swinging above the water. Next to him was a scruffy guy with brown hair, and behind them a lad with long black locks and a beard.

“-not coming,” I caught the black haired guy say.

“He will,” Sam insisted. “He seemed very keen.”

“Maybe he was just keen to get away from you,” the scruffy guy said and rolled his eyes.

“Now, Grenn, no need to be rude,” Sam said.

“He is not coming,” the black haired guy repeated.

“Oh, he’s coming alright,” a fourth person chimed in.

As my eyes searched for the last person, I started to realise there was a shadow next to me. Someone was breathing heavily, so much so that I could feel it on my skin. As goosebumps rose along my arms, I slowly turned my head to look into a pair of icy blue eyes.

“Hello lad,” the man grinned, towering above me. “Looking fer the Night’s Watch?”

I jumped backwards in surprise, but my foot got caught in the rope from a kayak, and I managed to drag the metal stand with me. I hit the ground first, but soon followed three kayaks, loudly crashing down around me. The guy laughed as I scrambled to my feet.

“Hope ye don’t plan on becoming no spy!” he said.

I felt my face flush red. I watched him bend down to pick up a kayak, and I quickly reached over to help him out. As we pushed them back into their stand, I asked: “Uh, are you the Night’s Watch?”

The guy gave me an incredulous look. “ _Me?_ Ye hear that, lads! I’m a _Night’s Watch_! Whatever is that, anyway? A _Night’s Watch_?” The guy grinned at someone over my shoulder, and I heard steps approaching.

As I turned, I saw the guys from earlier appear from the other side. Sam lit up in a smile. “I told you he would come!” he said, a certain smugness to his voice.

The scruffy lad - Grenn, I gathered - looked me up and down. He looked less impressed than Sam. “So you want to bring justice to Dragonstown?” he asked.

I looked between them with confusion. “Uh, justice?” I asked.

“Do you pledge yourself?” he prodded, but I must have looked completely lost as the black haired guy stepped in.

He offered me his hand, and I shook it with slight hesitation. “I’m Edd,” he introduced himself. He nodded at the guy next to him. “That’s Grenn. Sam, well, you know him. And that’s Tormund.” He let go of my hand and gestured at the big lad who grinned back down at me.

I swallowed. My throat felt awfully dry all of a sudden. “I’m Jon,” I said and, as I could come up with nothing else, I added a meek: “Pleased to meet you.”

“There ye go,” Tormund said, “he’s _pleased_.”

“Oh, stop it,” Sam said. “I’m just glad you’re here.” Truly, he looked glad - his cheeks were rosy and his eyes excited, like a kid getting the Christmas present he’d been waiting for.

I nodded and looked at each of them. “So, you’re the Night’s Watch?” I concluded.

Tormund snorted. “Ha! They are,” he gestured at the lot, “them there. Me? I’m no follower. Just here fer the ride.”

“Sam said you’re looking to join?” Edd asked.

“Well, I don’t really-”

“What have you heard about us?” Grenn queried.

I blinked. They all seemed to gather more closely around me, each of them awaiting my answer. Even Tormund pushed in, blocking my exit from behind. I felt my mouth go dry. “Well…” I said, remembering Pyp’s words: It’s the worst gang of lads. _The worst_. “Well,” I said again, feeling the seconds tick by. I could tell they were getting impatient, “Well, my sister said you’re… that you’re really admirable and that I should join.”

“Yer sister, she’s good looking?” Tormund asked.

“She’s twelve.”

He grimaced. “No bother.”

“We’re trying to establish some order here. Nothing big, nothing fancy,” Edd explained. “Just doing some good honest work.”

“Like what?” I asked.

Everyone looked at each other.

“Well, we patrol the streets. Sometimes,” Grenn offered. “Have a smoke, sometimes.

“Have a chat,” Sam said.

“It’s really what you make of it,” Edd said, but even he didn’t sound sure. They all looked at one another again before he turned to me. “So, you want to join?”

I glanced between them, their faces as young as mine and their minds just as blank. In between Tormund’s heavy breathing, there was only silence. _No one has a clue_ , I realised, _they’re all just scrambling for something to hold on to, but no one has a clue. There’s no leader, there’s no purpose_. The fear from earlier had completely seeped out of my body. Instead, I was just starting to feel a bit tired. “To be honest-” I started, but before I could finish my sentence, Sam spoke up:

“Jon, can I have a word?”

Under the watchful eyes of the rest, he pulled me around the stand of kayaks and toward the docks. “Look, Jon - can I call you Jon?”

“It’s my name,” I said, looking back over my shoulder at the group. They were watching us, but they were outside hearing distance. “Look, Sam, I don’t think-”

“ _Please_ let me speak,” Sam begged, and his voice came off rather haughty. I glanced at him in surprise, and found that he looked just as stunned with himself. “Look, I’m sorry, but I really need you to join.”

“What do you mean, _need me_ ? You barely _know_ me!”

“Look at you!” Sam said and gestured at me.

I looked myself up and down, then felt dumb for doing it. “Look at _what_?” I asked.

“Well, you’re rather handsome. Tall-”

“Is that a joke?”

“Okay, not tall but certainly handsome. Good face, broad shoulders, _strong arms_.”

“Sam, this is getting weird,” I grimaced.

“I’m no good,” Sam said, and his words were so quiet I almost didn’t hear them. My grimace melted into a confused look as I watched him. He shook his head with a sad smile. “It’s true, I am not really good at anything. I’ve never had any friends. I barely have a family, I mean, my father _hates_ me. He’s pretty much disowned me. Can you imagine, being disowned by family?”

Catelyn’s face immediately appeared in my mind. It made my heart clench and I looked down. “Go on,” I mumbled.

“I know we’re just a bunch of kids, roaming town,” Sam said, although it sounded like he chose those words more for my sake than mine. “But… this is my one shot at becoming something. If you pass the initiation, you can vouch for me, and then they _have_ to accept me. I don’t mind if you want to, you know, never mention this again or never come by. I just need it.” He looked me in the eyes. “Please, Jon?”

And I wondered - when did I ever get so soft? First Arya, then Sam. Same brown eyes, same begging faces, their hope pinned on me. When did this become my fate? I wanted to say no. I really, _really_ wanted to turn him down there and then and head home.

But not even half an hour later, I stood by the Targaryen estate, glancing at it through the holes in the tall wooden fence, and I once again said:

“ _What the fuck?_ ” I turned to look at the group again. “Why are you picking on this girl again?”

“We’re not picking on her - we’re _investigating_ ,” Sam assured me.

“Something weird is going on,” Grenn agreed.

“And you’ve all done this?” I asked. “You’ve all _trespassed_?”

“Well, we’ve all had a look at least,” Edd said.

“Hold on - so you guys just _looked_ but _I_ have to take a picture?”

“Can’t change the rules of the game,” Edd shrugged.

“Imagine she’s there against her will,” Sam said.

“Like some sort of sex slave,” Tormund offered.

I gave him an odd look. “Why are you here?” I asked, “since you’re not part of the group.” As he just shrugged, I shook my head and looked back up the fence. It towered above me by at least eight feet, dark and imposing. “How am I even meant to get over that?” I asked.

Not even seconds later, Tormund’s arms wrapped around my legs and he pushed me up the wood. I quickly started grabbing on to whatever holes and edges I could find as I heard him grunt: “Now ye know why I’m here!”

It wasn’t easy, but soon I was balancing atop his shoulders, my hands wrapped around the top part of the fence. As I stabilized myself and looked across the backyard, I couldn’t help but gawk.

Dragonstown was small and boring. It had streets of terraced houses all looking alike, a town square with mom and pop stores, and a park which was really just a done up graveyard. But the Targaryen estate? It was like a world of its own.

The backyard was filled with rose bushes and flower beds brimming with dragonsnaps, lilies, carnations, peonies and lavender. Farther away, large weirwoods were casting shadows with branches full of fiery red leaves, and beneath the largest was a pond. Nets of fairy lights had been thrown atop the bushes there, stretching alongside a path all the way to the state. It looked like swarms of fireflies, just nestling all over the garden.

By the house, large lemon trees were growing, their branches reaching up against the side of the house, stretching almost as far as the window I was meant to reach.

I locked my eyes on it, the white curtains lightly fluttering in the breeze. _That’s my goal_.

“Come on, lad!” Tormund grunted and I snapped back to reality. “Ye’re pushing me into the ground!”

I poked my tongue to my inner cheek as I gathered all the strength I had in my arms and hoisted myself up to sit askew the fence. From up there, I could feel the wind. It was cold on my warm cheeks. I took a moment to cool myself, then I looked down. In the darkness, I could barely see anything, and I narrowed my eyes, trying to force them to adapt to the light. It was then something occurred to me.

“Sam,” I said, “how am I going to get back out?”

“Well-” Sam said from below, but he was cut short by a shrill voice that I immediately recognised:

“I told you I would skin you alive!”

_Viserys!_

From around the corner, a light was cast. As the searching flashlight got closer, Sam gave a frightened whine: “Run, guys!” In an instant, everyone fled each in their own direction. I couldn’t see them, but I heard their hurried footsteps disappear back into the woods, and my heart started beating wildly in my throat.

“Guys!” I hissed, but the flashlight immediately started searching the fence. I tried to cast one last look around, then down the fence and, seeing no other options available, I did the only thing I could - I let myself drop into the darkness.

I’ve been told people react in one of three ways when they’re faced with a stressful situation: they either freeze, unable to make a decision, or they panic, trying to run as far away as possible. Or, as I did that night - they turn off the noises in their head and dip right into the action.

After a rough landing, I quickly assessed that a) I wasn’t hurt, and b) the rest of the brave and admirable Night’s Watch had already fled, but most importantly c) Viserys was searching _right_ outside where I stood.

I sunk down as low as I could as I started making my way through the bushes and flower beds. This side of the garden had no path, so I was snapping twigs and ripping apart lilies as I made my way toward the house. In my head, I was swearing at everyone. Arya, because she brought up the Night’s Watch, and Sam, because he convinced me to go, and Tormund, because he threw me over the fence.

But most of all myself, for being a big, fucking idiot.

As I made my way behind the weirwood, I looked back up at my original goal - Daenerys’ window.

The most obvious route would be up the lemon trees, but their branches were way too thin to carry me. The sturdy weirwoods, however, grew just a tad too far from the windowsill for me to reach it. The logical way would of course be the front door, but I highly doubted that would be an option.

As I stood considering my possibilities, Viserys’ voice returned. “Search the gardens. I think I saw something.” _Shit_. He was clearly talking to someone, too, and soon I heard the shuffling of feet.

 _Is this it?_ I wondered as I leaned up against the side of the house, pressing myself as flat as I could against the stone. _Is this how my grand adventure ends?_ That’s when I felt it. Metal.

My fingertips slipped across the wall and I realised - the trees weren’t growing upwards by themselves, of course, they were being _led_.

A thick metallic frame had been hammered into the side of the wall, and the branches had been twisted in and out of it, causing them to reach higher than normal lemon trees. I pushed my fingertips in between the holes and slowly tried to pull myself upwards. There was no sound, and no sign of the metal giving way. This was my chance.

I bet if someone had taken time, I would have beat the world record in climbing that night. I reached and pulled and pushed and grunted my way up the metal at the speed of light, and soon found myself grabbing onto the windowsill. I was so relieved that I didn’t even give it a second thought but simply pushed myself through the fluttering curtains and down onto the floor.

For a second, I just laid there, my sweaty forehead pressed to the cool wooden flooring, and I took in a few deep breaths. My heartbeat slowly started returning to normal. The blood rushing in my ears subsided. I could hear again, I could breathe again. And, as I looked up, I realised that I could see again.

Inside, the light was dim but cosy, keeping the darkness outside at bay. To my left was a large canopy bed, the white net pulled back and tied around the frame so I could tell no one was in it. Fairy lights trailed alongside its top, and they seemed to carry all the way across the ceiling, leading my eyes further into the room. If the outside nets looked like fireflies, inside here they looked like stars, glimmering against the dark blue paintwork on the roof. This was in itself a sight, but what caught my attention were the large plants covering the back wall. Huge leaves, thick stems. I didn’t recognise most of them. Like a jungle, they reached up around a shelving unit filled with dragon statues, live candles, incense sticks filling the room with foreign fragrances, old books bound in thick leather and there, in its midst, a lit up terrarium.

I sat still for a minute or two, just taking in the room and listening for movement. But I heard none. Not anyone breathing, not anyone walking. Nothing. Slowly, I dared to stand up, and I wet my lips as I whispered a frail: “Hello?”

No answer.

I slowly started walking across the floor, my gaze slipping from one end of the room to the other and I have to admit - my fingertips were tingling with a certain excitement I hadn’t felt in a long time. This was forbidden territory. Hell, I supposed someone could get me in right trouble for this. I tried to imagine Catelyn’s face if police were to show up at her door, announcing that her bastard tenant Jon had been caught spying on rich girl Daenerys Targaryen. Oh, the _embarrassment_ she would feel - for that alone I was almost willing to be caught!

I suppressed a chuckle as I stopped in front of the shelving unit. Up close, I could get a better look at the many figures decorating the shelves. There were red dragons and golden ones, European looking ones with thick bodies and big wings, and Asian inspired ones with no legs - like long snakes of porcelain, they twisted and twirled in between the plant pots. And then, there was not one, not two, but three small sets of eyes peering up at me.

I leaned down and gazed into the terrarium in wonder. “Wow, hello,” I said and smiled. Three lizards looked back at me with as much perplexity. One black, one green, one white. I pushed my fingertips to the glass. “I’m Jon. Who’re you?”

“Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion,” someone replied.

Know how people react in three ways when they get stressed? Forget about me jumping into action. In that moment, I _fucking froze_.

Before I had a chance to consider what to do next, steps approached quickly from behind, and someone grabbed me by the shirt, turned me around, and slammed me to the unit. I winced at the stabbing pain in my back, and instinctively grabbed around the hand of the person. “What are you doing?” I said surprised, even more so as the fingers my hand closed around weren’t big and rough. They were smaller than mine, softer. I blinked and looked into a pair of fiery, violet eyes, and I realised: _This is her. This has to be her._

“The question is - what are _you_ doing, _Jon_?”

Long, silver hair, intricately braided around beads which glimmered like pieces of gold. Skin fair and frame slender, her body draped in a pale blue dress, the soft fabric cascading downwards like streams of water in a waterfall. Her gaze intense, demanding, yet curious.

_Daenerys Targaryen._

I could feel her warm breath slipper across my skin, that is how close she was standing. I swallowed and wet my lips. “How,” I started, “How do you know my name?”

“You just introduced yourself to my lizards.”

“Oh. Right.”

“Is that what you do in your spare time? Break into girls’ homes and talk to their pets?” She narrowed her eyes as if trying to read me.

I did my darnest best to keep my face neutral. “Only on Mondays,” I said, having no real excuse.

A smile shortly slipped across her lips before she resumed her questioning: “What are you doing here?”

“You said it yourself, I was talking to your pets.”

“One shout and my brother will be here. Do you want to be questioned by him, or me?”

“I was challenged,” I quickly admitted. Her fingertips dug deep into my shirt. I could feel the edge of her nails against my neck as she pressed a little bit harder.

“Challenged to _what_?” she asked.

“To take a picture,” I admitted. I was starting to feel hot. Even with February’s cool breeze slipping inside, the heat was building in me. Shortly, I let my gaze go from Daenerys’ face to the window behind her. It was too far away, I realised, and most likely the mentioned brother was still out there, ready to skin me alive. _That would really make her laugh_ , I realised, _Catelyn. If the police were to tell her that I was skinned alive - that would cheer her up_. I couldn’t give her the satisfaction. So I stayed put.

“Of what?”

“Of you.”

“So you were being a pervert.”

I gritted my teeth. Those were my words, really, when I argued with Sam. Hearing them used against me hurt. “Look, I am only doing this for my sister.”

“Oh, you’re taking naked photos for your sister?”

“Yes. Wait, no! Wait, _what?_ ”

Daenerys’ eyebrows slightly cocked at my blabbering. “So, you’re not?”

“I never said anything about naked!” I assured her, feeling my cheeks go red. It seemed to please her, at least her grab around my collar loosened a little. My hold of her hand loosened too, but I kept my fingers on her wrist. “It’s the guys. Night’s Watch they call themselves. I know it sounds stupid, I mean, it _is_ stupid, but they thought you might be in danger.”

“Night’s Watch?” Daenerys repeated queringly. As I nodded, she slowly lowered her hand, and I mine with her. “I know of them. They have been coming by for a while. Some guy with a beard, some guy with scruff,” he gestured to her chin.

“Edd and Grenn,” I guessed with a nod. It made sense.

“The worst was the latest one. Biggish lad?”

“Sam,” I said.

“Sam,” she repeated. “He broke one of my lemon trees trying to climb it. I don’t think he realised how frail they are.”

I have to admit - the image in my head brought a smile to my lips. “I can imagine that,” I said. “He seems a bit… well, I think he means well, but,” I shrugged, “what do I know. I don’t really know them.”

“Seem to know them well enough, if you’re part of their gang.”

“It’s no gang,” I said. “Honestly, just a group of lads roaming about.”

“So why are you with them?”

“I told you, my sister asked me to.” I sighed. This whole ordeal was so messy to explain. “Look, you don’t have to believe me, and I understand if you’re angry, right? But honestly, the guys thought you might be in danger. Say you’re locked up in here and all. I don’t know, I’ve only just moved here. But they said,” I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to admit their concerns, but I finally continued, “said you might be some sort of _sex slave_.” The moment the words left my lips, I felt stupid. I could almost see Tormund laughing at me for believing his words for even a second.

Daenerys stared at me. For a moment, I thought she was going to hit me or worse, and I braced myself for impact, my shoulders rising. But then her lips cracked into a smile, and she started laughing. “Sex slave!” she exclaimed.

I smiled a hesitant smile. “Yeah,” I said, and then, as the embarrassment hit me, I also started to chuckle. “I know, it’s stupid.”

“It’s ridiculous!” she laughed. “So you lot think I’m being held here against my will, and your solution is to go and play at being a paparazzi?”

“I know how it sounds,” I said.

“I hope so, or you’re dumber than you look,” Daenerys replied. Her gaze flickered down, and it was only then that I realised I was still holding her hand.

I quickly let go, showing my palms in the air. “Sorry.”

“Accepted,” she said, stepping back a little.

I watched her as she stood there under the fairy lights, her hair shimmering, and I wondered: _why hasn't anyone seen you around before? Why don’t you show your face?_

As if she could read my mind, Daenerys looked at me and said: “I was expecting you.”

“Me?”

“Well, not you personally, but someone from your Watch.” She folded her arms in front of her and glanced toward the window. “As said, you lot have been coming by for a while. It’s been amusing, really, watching you struggle trying to get in here. In the beginning, I used to place odd things within reach. Like a book on spells or a dragon figure, something that would catch your attention and make you go: _what in the world!_ ” She looked back at me and smiled a little. “It was nice, having some sort of interaction to look forward too, however odd. But my brother caught on.”

“Viserys,” I remembered, and she nodded.

“That’s when the fence went up. Before, I could at least sit in the garden and look into the woods, imagining that someone might come walking over to see me. But now, I know I’m trapped. Like a bird in a cage.”

I noted a sadness in her voice as she spoke. It was so gentle that it almost could be confused for nostalgia, but I knew it too well. It was the same sadness I could hear in my own voice when I spoke of my life. “I’m sorry,” I said.

She nodded. “I am too.” Her gaze slipped back to the window and for a while we just stood watching the white drapes flutter in the wind.

“Do you need help?” I suddenly heard myself say. As she looked at me, I felt my throat clench up and the blush return to my face. _Why_ , I wondered, _Why does she have this power over me just by looking at me?_ I felt as if she could make me freeze or panic, run around or talk or say nothing at all, just with her gaze. _There’s power in her_. “I mean, are you locked up against your will?”

“Don’t take me for a fool,” Daenerys said. “I am caged, but I have my own key. Viserys would not like it, but I could walk out the front door tomorrow if I so pleased. I am trapped, but I am trapped by choice.”

“I am not sure I understand,” I admitted.

She smiled a sad smile. “You must have a loving family then.”

I bit my inner cheek and looked down. I could leave too, I realised. I could leave my family behind and never come back. No one would stop me. Nothing was keeping me in that basement. Nothing was keeping me tied to Catelyn. But I stayed for Arya, and I stayed for Sansa, and I stayed because I knew of nowhere else to go. So I realised, “I understand,” and I followed Daenerys’ shadow on the floor as she walked back closer to me.

“Your name was Jon?” she asked, and I nodded, looking back up and into her eyes. “Well, Jon,” she said, “I think I have entertained your Night’s Watch for long enough. It is time you entertain me.”

I furrowed my brows. “What do you mean?”

“As said, I am here by choice. That’s all you need to know, really. I don’t want to upset Viserys, he’s been through enough, but I am going crazy just being stuck between these four walls.” She stretched out her arms as it to exemplify how the walls were closing in on her. “I need to get out. But I can’t do it alone. Tell me,” she stepped closer, and I held my breath as he looked me up in the eyes, “how big is your team currently?”

“Uh, with me? We’re four. Plus one,” I added, remembering Tormund.

“So, five?” she said, seemingly unimpressed with my ability to count, and I nodded. “Right, that should be enough.” She turned around and walked to the window, pulling the curtains aside.

“Enough for what?” I asked, watching her confused.

She turned to me and smiled, the light from the garden falling in on her, making it look as if a halo appeared around her head. “Oh Jon,” she said, “it’s time for you to cancel all your plans.”

* * *

The woods were dark. Even with the flashlight from my phone, I could barely see a foot ahead of me. I stumbled ahead, led by only my desire to get home, when I suddenly heard them:

“Jon, is that you?”

I looked around and saw several lights approach me from the dark. All of the guys from the Night’s Watch, each holding their phone, shining their flashlight toward me. “Jon!” Sam exclaimed. “You made it!”

“How did you get out of there?” Grenn asked. This time, he sounded impressed, very unlike when he first saw me. “We almost got caught! I think Tormund shat himself.”

“Shut it,” Tormund said, but there was a grin on his lips. “Go on, how did’ye do it?”

“Did you get the picture?” Sam asked.

“Can we see?” Edd agreed.

I looked between them, their eyes excited.

“Well,” I said and swallowed. “Daenerys actually led me out the back.”

“Wait, you _spoke_ to her?” Sam gasped, his eyes big.

Tormund leaned in close. “Go on, show us the photo!”

“I got something better,” I said. As they all huddled in around me, their eyes keen, I felt a certain warmth. For once, I was not the one left outside. I was the one with information. The one with news. The one someone wanted to listen to. “Clear your plans next Thursday. We’re taking Daenerys out on an adventure.”


End file.
